This past June, I completed three years in Baku, Azerbaijan. Life happened which forced me to re-evaluate my staying in Baku for a 4th year, and therefore I moved back to Central New York for the academic year. Here, I will be working on this blog, applying for jobs, and substitute teaching on this "gap year" all whilst continuing to do what I love the most. Traveling.
Over these last 3 years, I've learned a lot about myself, about teaching, and about people. It's safe to say that I'm not the same person I was just a short time ago.
If 8 years ago someone would have told me that I would embark on a journey of self that would allow me to traverse the globe via planes, trains, boats, rickshaws, cabs, and on foot [with many of the adventures by myself], I would have said that you were crazy. As many of my international teacher cohorts and fellow travelers can agree, once you're hooked, it's done.
When it came to my job, I became much more confident and better at it. Yeah, I'm sure I slacked a bit but when it came time to buckle down, the job got done. My students' grades are proof of that. I'm not one to equate student performance to teacher success but in the IB, it's hard not to. Especially when you're predicting what the student will get almost 1 full year out of their real exams! A 98% accuracy rate of predicted vs. actual grades? Cha-ching! I also learned who to trust and who not to. This is certainly a tough lesson to live for anyone but it's something that we all have to do. Now, there wasn't some HUGE issue that ruined my life and impaired my ability to do my job but there were colleagues who LIVED for the gossip. Me? I stayed where I needed to be, spoke to who needed to be spoken to, and got down with it. Simple as that. Of course, when in a school, staff members sometimes become secondary students all over again. The gossip train never stops and it's a "he said, she said," "cool kids club" environment. Me? #girlbye. Haters will ALWAYS hate.
Until next time, E out.
